A new exhibition - Titian and the Renaissance: Masterpieces of European Art in 500 Years - opened on Saturday at the Meet You Museum in Beijing.

The exhibition showcases 59 original works by 47 Renaissance masters such as Titian, Raphael and Botticelli, covering themes including biblical stories, and Greek and Roman mythology. Spanning 500 years, it presents a magnificent range from Gothic to Baroque art.

The exhibition offers a condensed history of European art, through the exquisite paintings dating from the 13th to the 18th centuries.

"Giuseppe Alessandra is a well-known collector of Renaissance paintings. What attracted me to him is that he chooses artworks not just based on the fame of the painters but more on the themes depicted in the artworks themselves. Today, his precious collection has been exhibited and well-received worldwide. For this exhibition, we carefully selected nearly 60 treasures to be displayed in China. This exhibition aims to tell the audience about the wisdom and extraordinary skills of the renowned Italian painters through the artworks," said Stefano Cecchetto, curator of the exhibition.

Titian (1488-1576) was born in the picturesque town of Cadore in northern Venice, Italy. As the greatest painter of the Venetian school during the peak of the Italian Renaissance, Titian is also known as the "father of Western oil painting." His use of color not only influenced Italian painters of the Renaissance but also had a profound impact on Western art.

This exhibition remarkably brings together five original works by Titian, marking the first large-scale appearance of Titian's original works in Beijing.

Wang Chunchen, professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and director of the Meet You Museum, said that most of Titian's previous works reflected war or mythological themes, while these five paintings depict real figures. Titian's control over the portrayal of subjects is not only accurate but also very vivid.

Wang stated that in recent years, China has hosted many classical art exhibitions from Europe.

"All these exhibitions converge to form a grand history of European art. This exhibition focuses on showcasing a group of masterpieces of original paintings, with high standards, a broad span, rich content, and diverse themes, making it a splendid part of 500 years of European painting history," Wang added.

The exhibition will be held until June 16.